Frankenstein (The Original 1818 'Uncensored' Edition)

Mary Shelley

Jan 2013 · e-artnow

About this ebook

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is the original 1818 'Uncensored' Edition of Frankenstein as first published anonymously in 1818. This original version is much more true to the spirit of the author's original intentions than the heavily revised 1831 edition, edited by Shelley, in part, because of pressure to make the story more conservative. Many scholars prefer the 1818 text to the more common 1831 edition. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel written by Mary Shelley about a creature produced by an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was nineteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818. Shelley's name appears on the second edition, published in France in 1823. Shelley had travelled in the region of Geneva, where much of the story takes place, and the topics of galvanism and other similar occult ideas were themes of conversation among her companions, particularly her future husband, Percy Shelley. The storyline emerged from a dream. Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, and John Polidori decided to have a competition to see who could write the best horror story. After thinking for weeks about what her possible storyline could be, Shelley dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made. She then wrote Frankenstein.

Ratings and reviews

This book is a pure sample of the evolutionary psychology that we have experienced as human beings. I say this because the protagonist's inability to focus on what was happening in the present and think all the time about his anguish, Maybe in the 19th century this was normal, but for 21st century psychology education it is really embarrassing. Also the book is very predictable, it shouldn't be called a horror novel.

This book is so vastly removed from the more familiar tale told in film as to be nearly unique. It examines sociological behaviors as the true monster, and questions ethical treatment of the other much as we do now in the 21st century. And try as I might, this brief review fails miserably in its attempt to duplicate the masterful articulateness of the author's written word. 2 thumbs up!

I was just a 3 in 1967, when my Dad first told me of Shelley's Christmas bedtime story...Frankenstein (& his Monster). Even at so young an age & of true innocence, I asked Dad to replaced Monster with Creation. I'd weep for it until I'd fall asleep in my Daddy's arms. Through the years, Dad would wake me...or I'd be waiting for him...when he came home from his P.D. swing shift on Christmas, to watch our favorite versions of the 'BIG 3' (Frankenstein, The Wolfman, & The Hunchback) on Count Gore DeVaul's 'Creature Feature', 1AM on channel 45. As captivating as the origional interpretations were, it wasn't until Kenneth Branagh (Frankenstein) & Robert DeNiro (the Monster) actually paid homage to Shelley's origional story, & it was BEAUTIFUL! But with two such FINE visual storytellers cast, HOW could it turn out otherwise? I'm now 58, & Dad's been gone 11 years. Though we'd read & watched Frankenstein MANY times since (this being my first digital read), I STILL weep for my Creature.